You can always tell it’s an Emily Henry novel if a) there’s a dead parent, or if b) there’s a very particular brand of banter between the main leads. (the banter basically being them dissing each other but in a loving (??) way.)

We all fell in love with Bech Read and then People We Meet on Vacation went on to become the must read book of 2021. Now everyone is eagerly anticipating Book Lovers (i mean, presales are already sold out at a few retailers) and now after having read it, I’m certain that Book Lovers is going to be an even bigger hit.

This book is basically a love letter to every type-A bad bitch who has a 10 step skincare routine, never leaves the house without looking flawless, and is . Nora’s basically Sandra Bullock’s in the proposal or Parker Posey's in You've Got Mail. She's every bad city bitch who gets dumped by her boyfriends for the overly sweet seemingly perfect small town woman in every romcom. Nora was completely different from any main character we’ve seen from Emily Henry but it was so easy to sympathize and fall in love with her.

Let’s not forget about our man Charlie. Y’all Charlie!! Listen, men written by Emily Henry just hit different. Gus and Alex are ultimate book boyfriends and Charlie just joined that list. All you need to know is that this man is a brooding editor, who owns a capsule wardrobe, has a sharp wit, and is described as having the most amazing eyebrows. Picture a young Chris Pine. Exactly!

The banter between Nora and Charlie had me cackling AND swooning at the same time. I think that’s what makes me love this author's writing so much. The dialogue between her characters is always witty and funny, but yet still realistic. No one does banter better than Emily Henry (imo).

But if I’m being honest, while the romantic relationship between Nora and Charlie is everything, the real star of the show was Nora’s bond with her sister Libby. Prepare to laugh and cry. The way Nora would do anything and everything for her younger sister really touched a nerve with me and made me tear up a couple times. In my defense, it's virtually impossible to read one of her books without becoming a sentimental bitch.

and finally…
Hot take! Perhaps? Maybe??…we’ll see… *ahem* I loved Book Lovers even more than People We Meet on Vacation!! I KNOW!! but y’all it’s that good. I mean Beach Read is still my number 1 favorite but this is a close second.

(If I had to rank all of Emily Henry’s books it’d go: Beach Read, Book Lovers, A Million Junes, When the Sky Fell on Splendor, People We Meet on Vacation, Hello Girls, and The Love that Split the World)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!!!

Another stellar book by Emily Henry; this will without a doubt be THE book of the summer 2022. Nora was an absolutely wonderful protagonist, her cutthroat but vulnerable nature truly shown through in this book. As well as her love for her Peloton bike. Charlie was also just the perfect match for her, the two of them are 100% on the same level as Henry's other favorites--January & Gus and Poppy & Alex. Emily Henry has such an excellent sense of humor that is always present in her books and allows her voice to shine through. I have been following this author since before Beach Read's release, and it is always such a joy to see what she will come out with next. Readers should anticipate another fantastic book that will be the perfect companion for vacationing this summer, maybe even to a place like Sunshine Falls.

First of all, I just want to thank Berkeley Publishing, Net Galley, and especially Emily Henry for giving me this absolute gem of a book.

I’m a tried and true Emily Henry fan and will be to the day I die (seriously…I would read this woman’s grocery list), so I already knew going into Book Lovers that I would like it. But….I didn’t expect to fall head over heels in love with it. Yeah…I know…silly me… it’s Emily Henry and she can do no wrong.

Book Lovers is marketed as a contemporary romance but trust me when I say it is so much more. Not only does it explore what it is to be a successful, career driven woman in today’s world through its main character Nora Stephens, it also explores how those qualities can impact every single part of our life including relationships whether they’re platonic, romantic, or familial. My absolute favorite part of this book was the relationship between Nora and her sister, Libby, and the good and bad that comes from being so close with your family.

Now this isn’t to discount the romantic interest, Charlie Lastra, at all, because trust me when I say he is as close to the perfect love interest as you can get. What I loved about Charlie is that he doesn’t feel like your typical “man written by a woman.” He feels so authentic and real. There is no pandering to make him more palatable. What you see is what you get with him. Same as Nora.

To put it simply, Emily Henry puts crack cocaine in her books. Reading this book was like watching a movie that you didn’t want to end. I laughed. I cried. I laughed-cried. 5/5 ⭐️

Emily Henry is a romance goddess, and this book was no exception. Nora and Charlie were incredibly swoony, and I loved the overall feminist message in this one. Rom-com lovers, you need it.

Holy fucking shit. No, because I don’t think you understand.

HOW THE FUCK DOES EMILY HENRY KEEP DOING THIS??? I swear to god, no other author has this much of a chokehold on me.

I quite literally just finished reading this book ten minutes ago, so I will do my best at attempting to organize my incoherent thoughts into actual words.

I had extremely high expectations for Book Lovers (granted, ones that I had complete and utter faith in Emily Henry achieving), so waiting months for an ARC of this book magnified that jittery anticipation. As soon as I read the first sentence, I knew it would become one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. By the end, it earned the spot as my favorite book of all time (a spot I do not hand out lightly).

This book made me laugh more than any other book I’ve read (and I mean physically laugh, out loud, full volume, making my roommate question my sanity from the other room). It’s so rare for me to find an author with my exact sense of humor, but I’ve always hit the jack pot with Emily Henry.

This book had me up until 2:00AM, sobbing (her books always have that affect on me, even though they aren’t depressingly sad??), sleep deprived, the week before finals (it’s worth it so don’t you even worry).

It was written so beautifully and was so incredibly lyrical, in a way that I would normally describe as “pulling at my heart”, but in this case, felt like someone had drop kicked me with a steel toed boot. In the best way possible. I ended up going overboard and highlighting just about every other paragraph because everything spoke to me so much. I personally know a book’s writing is truly idyllic and poetic when I have to stop reading and stare at a wall for an hour, just processing. This book did that, but took it a step further and transported me out of my corporeal body, so much so that I quite possibly may have astral projected unintentionally.

The characters were extremely lovable and relatable and hilarious and were so rich in life. They simultaneously pulled me out of my own world into theirs, while reminding me of relationships with people in my own life. They felt like home, which is every reader’s dream.

THE EPILOGUE????? I have never, in my twenty years of life (I know that’s barely any time at all and I’m still a baby, but bare with me for the dramatic effect), read an epilogue that amazing. It left me feeling giddy, yet bittersweet. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but somehow ended up being even better than I could have possibly hoped for or imagined. It did everything it needed to do and more.

I feel like I need to thank Emily Henry herself for blessing my eyes with this book. I feel honored to have read it?? I would offer my first born to her for the happiness she's have brought me through her books, but I don’t want children, so that offer carries no weight unfortunately.

Okay, this review is too long, but the moral of the story is READ THIS BOOK.

As usual, Emily Henry delivers a book with complex and interesting characters, and a delightful cast of side characters as well. The tension was not quite as compelling as her previous works, but Book Lovers was still a book that sucks you in. Would have liked it also to be a little more about books, considering the main characters are an editor and an agent.

So great! I love Emily Henry's adult books. I really enjoyed both main characters' stories and liked them together. I will purchase this for my library. Just so good!

Emily Henry knows how to write a book. This one was filled with what I have come to expect- romance and so much humor, Book Lovers was an excellent enemies-to-lovers romance, and I literally laughed out loud in many places. I thought the character development was on-point, and I loved and related to Nora so much- it was nice to see a main character who was not some sort of manic pixie dreamgirl, and I loved how meta it got, with Nora calling out romance tropes as related to her own love life. Positively brilliant. I cannot wait to listen to the audio because I think it will elevate the humor even more.

Rarely ever do I find an author whose books I will purchase without question. Emily Henry, in the span of her first two books, has undoubtedly earned that honor. This newest book only serves to solidify her place on my bookshelf. Henry has yet again gifted us characters who feel painstakingly real and honest. The story is one everyone can relate to in some capacity, drawing you in and making you care about these characters and their struggles. If you enjoyed Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation there is no doubt in my mind you will fall in love with Nora and Charlie. Do yourself a favour and read this book.

No surprise here. This is AMAZING! Emily Henry is one of the absolute best fiction writers out there. No one can do witty banter like her. The emails and texts between Nora and Charlie were so swoony. The entire story was just brilliant. Readers will love all the bookish elements that are included and woven in throughout the book. Nora is one of my favorite fictional women. I loved how ambitious and unapologetic she was. And the ending? Perfection. I also loved the January mentions :) All the stars for this one. It was extraordinary.

Where to even begin?! Emily Henry has done it again! Her careful craft of witty banter, utter romance and devastating family hardships is balanced in a stunning way with Book Lovers. Nora and Charlie are going to haunt my heart for weeks and weeks to come and I am so looking forward to losing sleep over them.

It is not often where a book can make me laugh out loud, sob from grief, jump up and down over the flirting, and make me cry tears of joy over how ROMANTIC it is but Henry absolutely delivered. Book Lovers easily makes it to one of my new favorite romances list and I’m so grateful to Berkeley Publishing for the chance to read this book early so I can sing it’s praises from the rooftops until May 2022 when I try to convince everyone else to read it with me. #BeMyShark4eva

Emily Henry has created another beautiful novel! Nora really gets a wake up call when she goes on vacation with her sister Lily to Sunshine Falls.
I loved the sister dynamic between Nora and Lily. I also loved how books have always been apart of their lives.
This is a book for book lovers.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved this book! Emily Henry writes my fave of this genre. This one had a different feel to me than Beach Read or People We Meet on Vacation but it had amazing chemistry between the characters. The MC wasn't that relatable to me but I loved her. She was tall, blonde and a workaholic. I loved her relationship with her sister and the idea of the two sisters going out of town together to bond. If you love romances and Henry's other books, you'll love this, I'm sure. Well written, great pacing, and amazing chemistry. Also, it really made me want to go to Asheville, lol!

THIS. BOOK.

I'm finding it hard to come up with a way to describe my feelings about Book Lovers... I just don't seem to have adequate words. I've long been a fan of Emily Henry and with each new novel she releases I love her even more.

Book Lovers is essentially a romance for, well.... book lovers. :) Emily Henry puts into words how books and stories can be life-changing in all the hardest and best ways. The way that she intertwines the book writing (and reading) process with the journey through life is beautiful. Henry draws parallels between the books we read, the stories we write, and those who are along with us for the ride.

Nora is a literary agent known to be "a shark" in the professional world. She doesn't have time for mistakes or fun and never strays from her ever=present checklists. Charlie is a brooding editor known to be brash and straightforward. Nora and Charlie have a brief, strained encounter to discuss a potential shared project but their meeting doesn't end well. Nora leaves shortly after to go on a three-week vacation with her sister, Libby, to "reconnect" in a small North Carolina town in the middle of nowhere. She goes on the trip to be with her sister, try something new, and possibly rewrite the parts of her story that no longer fit. The one thing she didn't count on? Running into Charlie again and again and again.

The banter between Nora and Charlie, and even Nora and Libby for that matter, is hilarious. Emily Henry can write saucy and sarcastically funny dialogue like no other. I literally laughed out loud multiple times (one in particular that comes to mind is Libby and Nora discussing the young actor in the town play - IYKYK :))

There are just so many feelings in this book - everything from grief to heartache to love and forgiveness. Book Lovers is an easy read, but full of so much depth. It's hilarious, but heartbreakingly real. Nora and Charlie are so perfectly imperfect and I couldn't love them more. Again, all I can say is...

THIS. BOOK.

(also - pre-order it, read it, save it, read it again, and again and again. It's really that good!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Lovers is a rom-com romance perfect for a quick and fun read. The story follows Nora, who is known as a strict editor in the large city of New York. When hers sister wants to take a vacation to small suburban town, Nora agrees. When they arrive, Nora is surprised to see one of her editing co-workers, Charlie, who she doesn't have the best past with. The story follows Nora and Charlie as rework their relationships and become friends, or perhaps something even more.

I loved the banter between Nora and Charlie, and really felt their relationship grow throughout the story. The reader watches how Nora discovers herself and her relationships with both her sister and Charlie. I recommend for fans who loved Emily Henry's past books, and people looking for a good romance read.

The publishing gods (aka @berkleypub) have smiled upon me and granted me my most anticipated read of 2022! I literally screamed when I was approved and immediately threw my TBR out the window to read this book immediately (obviously).

I will read @emilyhenrywrites’s grocery list because I’m convinced she cannot write a bad book. She’s an auto-buy author for me, and I can wait to get my physical copy that I already preordered in May!

What’s not to love about this book?!? Bookish world of publishing and literary agents ✔️, small town mountain vibes (set in NC!) ✔️, and banter that’s truly the *chefs kiss* ✔️.

I loved the storyline of Nora and her sister Libby fulfilling their checklist of things to do in small town Sunshine Falls, NC. It felt like a hallmark movie in the best kind of way. I always love a sister story because it always reminds me of my younger sister 💗

Charlie and Nora were just perfect. That’s all. Loved it. She writes the perfect romances, and no one else can top them.

I am a sucker for any book that has a storyline around writers, publishers, libraries, etc. I also enjoy an enemies to lovers trope and Book Lovers didn’t disappoint.

This was easily my favorite of Henry's books--and I really like the others! But this one is just *chefs kiss*. It's the tale of two sisters with a close bond but increasing distance as they get deeper into adulthood. They take a trip from their beloved home of New York City to a small town, and while the protagonist explores new contours of her relationship with her sister she balances her career, a budding love interest, and a lifetime of baggage that gnaws at her. The dynamics between characters are tender, funny, complex, devastating, illuminating, and loving. It was a joy to escape into this world where people are doing their best while reckoning with the past that has gotten them to where they are.

Immediately, I loved the banter. Some books try to have pithy dialogue, but so often it falls flat or tries too hard. Not here. In Book Lovers, the protagonist is quick-witted and smart, and that shines in her repartee with every other character (but particularly her sister and her nemesis-turned-love-interest). I laughed out loud often at how surprisingly clever and cute the dialogue is.

The banter belies a joyfully believable set of relationships between characters where motivations actually make sense and prior context, trauma, and dynamics genuinely serve to elucidate the book's action. I've read delightful romances where the characters' hang-ups or ways they get in their own way are loosely explained but kind of flimsy. Here, the characters make sense on several levels, and the ways they behave derive from experiences that Henry brings the reader in to. As such, I found myself empathizing with every character since in each case, it made sense how they got to where they are and why they're doing what they're doing to try to protect themselves. I love that every character is treated with care. No one is simplified to a mere trope or denied a story that validates their motivations. Instead, each character is endowed with complexity and all are likable and relatable. I love that Henry is able to create tension without having to cast anyone as the problem or the villain. Instead, the tension arises from real life circumstances by well-intentioned people with complicated needs and challenges in prioritizing those.

Overall, this is a delightful read that is absorbing in its warmth and in its self-awareness that it's playing on classic romance tropes. A true joy.

Oh, Emily Henry, you sweet, heart-breaking, romantic realist. What a read. What an event. Oh the tears. The endless parade of tears onto my reading glasses was particularly annoying. But so so so worth it. So worth it.
So, here’s the best thing about reading an Emily Henry work of art: I know with 100% certainty that I will fall in love with multiple characters with whom I have absolutely no experience nor anything in common and be so much better for it. Would I want to spend time in my real life with a Nora? Or a Charlie? Absolutely No. Not people I would choose to spend time with, like, ever. But am I in the throes of a debilitating crush on both of them right now. Completely. I am desperate to see her apartment and learn to drink tequila from the bar across the street. I yearn to see Charlie’s closet of carefully curated specific pieces organized with precision. I’m a goner. Will be for awhile. Sigh. Worth it. So worth it. 💜💜💜💜💜📚

Emily Henry HAS DONE IT AGAIN. GOOD LORD. THIS WAS A RIDE. I love love love Charlie Lastra. I love him. Nora's story and her self discovery was an awesome thing to read about. Emily Henry is the best at making you fall in love with the characters, with witty banter, with interesting back stories, she's got it all down to a T. This book was it.